Resources

Forensic Accounting Degrees

Forensic Programs

Kaplan University - BS in Accounting - Auditing/Forensic Accountancy & MS in Accounting Auditing. Long trusted as a leading name in the education space, Kaplan is one of the most popular online schools offering accredited accounting programs.

Post University - Forensic Accounting Certificate. Post University offers popular online programs for accounting students. Their online certificate program in forensic accounting is highly interactive, with small classes in 8-week accelerated modules.

Franklin University - Bachelor of Science in Forensic Accounting. This program helps you become a fraud-prevention-focused accountant, which provides the needed credentials to file reports with the SEC. Franklin's program also prepares you for professional certification exams like the CMA, CIA & CPA.

Southern New Hampshire University - MS in Forensic Accounting, MBA in Forensic Accounting & Fraud Examination, and International MBA in Forensic Accounting. SNHU's online masters programs help students learn how to detect & discourage the financial frauds which have ensnared
the US economy. The international MBA in forensic accounting offers a global perspective on major accounting issues. Learn about income smoothing, ficticious revenues & off balance sheet financing. Students alos learn how to analyze complex financial transactions like M&A, bankruptcies & contract disputes.

Regis University - Master of Science in Accounting. This 10-course and 30-credit hour program is available entirely online & in an accelerated 8-week flexible term. The degree has a strong foundation in ethics which helps students learn how to both prepare & interpret the results to influence and improve management decisions.

Northcentral University - Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration - Advanced Accounting. This program provides students with a broad accounting perspective and research based accounting knowledge, enabling students to explore relationships among business activities, economic outcomes, business performance and forensic analysis.

If you are already an accountant or are just starting your accounting education you should consider specializing in forensic accounting. US New and World Report calls forensic accounting one of the hottest job tracks of the future.

Forensic accountants use a combination of accounting, auditing, legal and investigative skills to analyze business and financial records in criminal matters such as employee theft, securities fraud, identity theft, and insurance fraud and to assist in the resolution of civil disputes involving financial transactions. Forensic accountants often testify as expert witnesses in civil and criminal litigation.

To be a forensic accountant you need at least a bachelor’s degree and preferably a master’s degree in accounting and your CPA certification. Most forensic accountants also obtain a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) or a Certified Forensic Accountant (CrFA) designation which require at least two years of general accounting experience in addition to your accounting degree and CPA certification.

A good candidate for a career in forensic accounting, in addition to studying legal and accounting concepts, must be curious, persistent, creative, analytical and capable of paying close attention to detail and communicating effectively. While forensic accounting can be interesting and rewarding it requires hours and hours of painstaking review of financial records and transactions to unravel a complicated fraud, embezzlement scheme or theft.

Forensic accountants work in the private sector for firms and businesses and for public accounting firms, banks and insurance companies investigating possible fraud, embezzlement or other financial related crimes. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 greatly expanded the federal government’s regulation of corporate financial practices and created a huge demand for accountants with forensic accounting expertise in the private sector. Government organizations like the General Accounting Office, the IRS, the FBI, the CIA and local law enforcement agencies hire forensic accountants. Some forensic accountants are employed by law firms or prosecutor’s offices.

Most entry level forensic accounting positions start at a $30,000 or $40,000 annual salary but experienced forensic accountants can earn over $150,000 annually.

There are numerous on line and traditional accounting programs offering forensic accounting courses and accounting degrees with an emphasis on forensic accounting. If you are interested in obtaining forensic accounting courses part-time while working full time or juggling other responsibilities an on line program offers many benefits in terms of flexibility and affordability. However affordable an on line program may be do not expect an on line program to be an easy path. Online study requires the student to be motivated, disciplined and self-driven. There is no one following you around to make sure you do the work. It is easy to put off the reading or skip the online materials or assignments for a few days and pretty soon you are too far behind to get much out of the course if you can complete it at all.

If you decide you are the type of person who can take advantage of an on line program carefully check out the credentials of the college or university offering the on line classes. Make sure the institution is an accredited program. And make sure the accreditation is from an accrediting agency recognized by the US Department of Education. You can find a list of national and regional accrediting agencies on Department of Education website (at http://www.ed.gov). The Council for Higher Education Accreditation also maintains a list of accredited institutions and accrediting agencies that have been evaluated and deemed to meet high quality standards. Both can be accessed through the Council’s website (http://www.chea.org/search/). You can also find on line accounting school rankings on the Online Education Data Base (at oedb.org/rankings).

While there are many on line programs offering on line forensic accenting programs two highly respected, accredited on line universities that offer forensic accounting classes are Kaplan University and the University of Phoenix. You might want to check out these programs.

Most traditional universities with good accounting programs offer forensic accounting classes. To find out if forensic accounting classes are offered visit the accounting department websites at the universities you are considering. If cost is a factor, public universities and smaller regional colleges will usually have lower tuition.

There are also scholarships targeted specifically to forensic accounting students. Since the first two years of an undergraduate accounting program is basically the same for all students, many of the scholarships targeting forensic accounting specify that they be awarded to upper division undergraduates or master’s accounting students who have a demonstrated career goal of forensic accounting. A few examples of these scholarships are:

The Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants funds three $1500 scholarships for students pursuing a career in forensic accounting.

BYU Hawaii’s School of business offers a forensic accounting scholarship with a maximum award of $1000.

The University of Alabama-Birmingham sponsors several scholarships for forensic accounting students ranging for $500 to $3000.

Champlain College has scholarships funded by businesses interested in forensic accounting.

When researching forensic accounting programs ask their financial aid offices to assist you in identifying potential scholarship opportunities for which you might apply.

In additional to those programs mentioned above other traditional colleges that offer forensic accounting courses are:

The Florida Atlantic School of Accounting is part of Florida’s state university system and has an excellent track record of high CPA examination passing rates.

Rasmussen College, North Dakota, (formerly Aakers College) is a small private college offering on line and traditional programs in forensic accounting.

Birmingham’s School of Business, the University of Alabama is a state school ranked as one of the top ten metropolitan public business schools and offers both a bachelor of science and masters program in accounting.

American Intercontinental University (AIU) was founded in 1970 and offers traditional style accounting courses on its four US campus (located in Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, and South Florida) as well as its London campus and on line.

Where ever you decide to take your forensic accounting courses you should look for programs that offer courses in communication, information systems, business law, criminal law, business finance, law enforcement, sociology and psychology as well as traditional accounting courses.

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